


How Far We've Grown

by bitsnbobs



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bit of Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hospital, Love, M/M, Pride, Super Soap Week- added scene, bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 10:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8368510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsnbobs/pseuds/bitsnbobs
Summary: Adam checks in on Aaron but since he is asleep, he talks with Robert. Short but sweet, hopefully.





	

**Author's Note:**

> There is the briefest of mentions to Aaron's suicide attempt in this. Nothing explicit but it is there.

Adam pushed the door open gently and walked inside. 

Aaron was fast asleep, looking so small and fragile that Adam had to blink back tears; too many times he’s had to see his best friend like this.

Robert shifted round in the chair by Aaron’s bed and Adam focussed on him instead,

“Hey, how is he?” 

Robert nodded, “He’ll be ok. Just needs to rest.”

Adam smiled slightly and gestured to Robert’s dishevelled appearance, “Looks like the same could be said for you.”

Robert snorted and bobbed his head. He sighed and looked back up at Adam, “Erm…Vic told me. About James.”

Adam looked down, “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah…I…” Adam shrugged and moved closer to the bed, “I’m not entirely sure how to feel, you know?”

Robert wasn’t entirely sure what to say so he went back to watching the slow, steady rise and fall of Aaron’s chest. He felt Adam move closer beside him and the two men stayed quiet for a moment until,

“Hang on,” Adam whispered, “Is that…is that what I think it is?”

Robert scrunched his eyebrows in confusion until he realised Adam was pointing at his and Aaron’s joined hands. More specifically something on Aaron’s finger.

Robert felt a rush of warmth and smiled up at his brother-in-law, “Yeah, it is.”

“Mate!” Adam exclaimed a little too loudly causing Robert to ‘shush’ him but there was no heat behind it. Adam bit back a laugh and whispered, “Sorry.”

Robert snorted, “So… what do you think?”

“I think it’s amazing, mate,” Adam said with his trademark beam.

“Yeah?” Robert suddenly felt overwhelmed by how quick everyone seemed to be accepting this news and how genuinely happy they were.

Adam clapped him on the back, “Yeah.” 

The men shared grins and then turned back to watching Aaron. Adam found he couldn’t blink back the tears this time as he reached forward and ran a hand down his friend’s arm, “I’m so proud of you, bro.”

Robert smiled softly, looking between the two men, “You’re going to be proper brother-in-laws now.”

Adam swiped at his eyes and laughed. “As if we both fell for Sugdens, eh, mate?” he said giving Aaron’s arm a gentle squeeze. 

Robert didn’t miss how Adam’s face fell slightly as though wishing he could have had a reaction from his best friend. And he didn’t miss how Adam was fighting back a fresh onslaught of tears, “Adam?”

The younger man shook his head, “It’s nothing.”

“Adam?” Robert said, a little more forcefully.

Adam sniffed, “I remember pulling him from a car once, you know?”

Robert’s eye’s widened and he felt like he had just had the wind knocked out of him. Adam noticed immediately,

“Oh, Rob, mate, I’m sorry. Not the right time.”

“No…no…” Robert gulped, “It’s ok.” 

Adam flicked his eyes over Robert and then moved his hand from Aaron’s arm and gently brushed it over his forehead instead. He bit his lip and then smiled at Aaron, “I just…I just…I can’t believe how strong you’ve been, mate. Look at you now, you’re getting married.”

Robert couldn’t stop the tears that fell from his eyes, “Yeah, and Chas is already planning a massive gay wedding.”

“Oh, he’ll love that,” Adam snorted, taking his hands from Aaron, steadying himself again and gesturing to Robert, “What about you? You ready to face the Dingles?”

Robert smiled and tilted his head to Aaron, “I’ll face anything for him.”

“Too right.”

“Vic told me, you know?”

“What?”

“That you dived straight in to help.”

Adam shrugged, “What else was I going to do?”

Robert bobbed his head but then looked at him sincerely, “Thank you.”

Somehow, Adam knew that Robert meant for more than what he had done earlier that day. He put a hand on the older man’s shoulder and squeezed, “You two are going to be so happy together.”

Robert bit his lip and nodded. 

“Right,” Adam said, rubbing a hand down his face, “I best get back to my mum.” He took a step closer to Aaron and leant in, “You are going to have the best stag do ever, bro, ok?”

Robert snorted, “You’ll be having it about a month before the wedding so I know he’ll be able to stand.” 

Adam grinned at him mischievously before he left. 

Robert shook his head after him. Then taking a breath, he stood up and placed a gentle kiss to Aaron’s forehead, “I’m so proud of you too.”

...


End file.
